Miami, FL
Inter Miami vs. Columbus Crew live updates: Messi could win title in big MLS game tonight
Soccer legend Leo Messi makes kids’ lifelong dreams come true
Soccer legend, Lionel Messi, and his Inter Miami teammates thrill kids with a meet and greet at a special event in Miami, Florida through Make-A-Wish.
USA Today
Lionel Messi and league-leading Inter Miami will face defending champion Columbus Crew in the biggest game of the Major League Soccer season tonight.
What’s at stake? Messi and Inter Miami have a chance to win the MLS Supporters’ Shield with a victory. It would be Inter Miami’s second title of the Messi era after winning Leagues Cup in 2023.
The Supporters’ Shield, given to the MLS regular-season leader, would also be the 46th title in Messi’s storied career. The Crew, however, could delay who wins the regular-season title if they’re able to pull off a draw against Inter Miami.
“My players, yeah, they know that Miami is coming with Messi, and we know that this is a good game for both teams,” Crew coach Wilfred Nancy told reporters Tuesday. “This is good for the league, obviously. This is good for everyone.”
It will be Messi’s first game against the Crew, although both teams played each other twice already this season. And it will be Messi’s fifth game since returning from his Copa America right ankle injury.
Messi has scored three goals in four games, but Inter Miami has secured three straight draws during the span as the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner improves his conditioning. It left some media wondering if Inter Miami has played better without Messi when it won 9 of 10 matches before his return.
“I am happy to have the best player in the world with us. And well, adapting to that won’t be a problem,” Inter Miami assistant Javier Morales said.
The Inter Miami match against Columbus Crew will be broadcast by FS1 in the United States.
The match will also be available for live stream via MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
The match will begin at 7:45 p.m. ET (8:45 p.m. Argentina time)
Yes, Lionel Messi is expected to start and play for Inter Miami against Columbus Crew tonight.
Inter Miami 4, Columbus Crew 3: Messi may have heard the talk about Inter Miami playing better without him before his injury return, and makes a statement to deliver the club the MLS Supporters’ Shield title. Messi scores two goals with an assist to Luis Suarez, and Matias Rojas will score for Miami against the Crew. Columbus might have tired legs in its seventh match in 24 days, while Miami will play its fifth in the same span. — Safid Deen, Lionel Messi reporter for USA TODAY.
Inter Miami won at home 2-1 in June was Messi was away during Copa America, and the Crew won 3-2 in August with Messi injured en route to winning Leagues Cup 2024.
The way how Columbus won was emphatic: Christian Ramirez scored in the 67th minute, while Diego Rossi scored a brace in the 69th and 80th minutes to steal the victory.
Inter Miami sits atop the MLS regular season standings with 65 points with three games remaining. A win tonight would give Inter Miami 68 points, and no other club would be able to reach that mark, giving them the Supporters’ Shield. If Inter Miami wins out, it would set a new MLS record with 74 points. A loss to Columbus would force Inter Miami to win its final two games to win the Shield.
Columbus Crew is in third with 57 points, but has four games remaining. A loss against Inter Miami would tap the Crew to 66 points if they win their final three games. A win against Inter Miami, however, opens a path to a maximum of 69 points.
LA Galaxy is second with 58 points with three games remaining. Three more wins would give the Galaxy 67 points.
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Miami, FL
Who is Rueben Bain Jr\ufeff? Miami Hurricanes draft prospect visits Bengals
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor at the NFL’s annual meetings
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor discussed a number of topics at the NFL’s annual meetings during the AFC head coach breakfast
2026 NFL draft prospects Jacob Rodriguez of Texas Tech and Rueben Bain Jr. of University of Miami visited the Cincinnati Bengals on April 10, according to NFL Network, along with fellow Miami Hurricanes edge Akheem Mesidor.
Nicknamed “Hurricane,” Bain is expected to be selected in the first round of the upcoming draft, and could be gone when the Bengals are scheduled to select at 10th overall.
Todd McShay has said he expects the Bengals to strongly consider Bain with the 10th pick. Yahoo! Sports’ Nate Tice has the Bengals taking Bain at No. 10.
“The Bengals go with the antithesis of their first-round selection from a year ago, trading the high-end tools and low-end production of Shemar Stewart with the top-end production and effort but lack of ideal length of Bain,” Tice wrote. “If Stewart taps into even a small portion of his talent and with Boye Mafe joining in free agency, the Bengals’ edge spots could be more impactful in a hurry and feel a lot different soon.”
What to know about Bain, who was a college teammate of Bengals offensive lineman Jalen Rivers for two seasons:
Bain played three seasons for the Hurricanes.
As a junior in 2025, Bain was named second-team Associated Press All-American, ACC defensive player of the year and first-team All-ACC.
Bain started all 16 games in his final season at Miami, recording 54 tackles and 15.5 tackles for loss with 9.5 sacks, an interception, a pass breakup and a forced fumble).
Bain earned the Ted Hendricks Award, given annually to college football’s top defensive end. He was a finalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, given to the nation’s top defender with Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community, Tenacity.
As a sophomore in 2024, Bain was named honorable mention all-ACC. He started nine games, and missed four games because of an injury.
A freshman All-American, Bain was named third-team all-ACC and ACC defensive rookie of the year in his first season with the ‘Canes. He led the team that season with three forced fumbles, and tied for the team lead with 7.5 sacks.
Lance Zierlein’s NFL comparison for Bain is the Philadelphia Eagles’ Brandon Graham.
“Note taker, grudge holder and block destructor with a compact frame and defensive tackle play strength,” Zierlein wrote in Bain’s NFL.com draft profile. “Bain is ill-tempered with his take-ons, hitting blockers with heavy hand strikes. … Bain’s explosive power and toughness should translate, giving him a high floor as an NFL starter.”
Daniel Jeremiah compares Bain to former NFL linebacker Melvin Ingram.
A USA Today mock draft had Bain going ninth overall, to the Chiefs.
Interestingly, Bain visited Kansas City one day before his reported Cincinnati visit.
Bain has dismissed post-combine discussion of his arm length. At 30 7/8 inches, Bain’s arms are among the shortest in the class.
“I didn’t hear it until later in the year, but it kind of surprised me because I never heard it all my life,” Bain said at the combine. “I don’t give it the time of day, honestly.”
“Mike Tyson, he wasn’t the tallest guy, wasn’t the longest-limbed guy, but when you felt him, you felt him,” Bain told NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe. “You kept your distance.”
Miami, FL
Police investigate 2 Miami scenes after a shooting that left a man hospitalized
A man is in the hospital after being shot in Liberty City on Wednesday evening, prompting a police investigation that spans two scenes, according to the Miami Police Department (MPD).
The victim, a man in his late 40s, was located at a second scene after the initial gunfire and was rushed to Ryder Trauma Center via ground transport under a “trauma alert”.
The shooting investigation began after MPD received a ShotSpotter alert around 7:21 p.m.. The first scene, where crime scene investigators were seen taking photos outside an apartment building, is along Northwest 58th Street and 13th Avenue. When officers arrived, they found shell casings but no victim.
A short time later, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office contacted Miami police regarding a second location—Northwest 69th Street and 21st Avenue—tied to the same alert. The victim was found at this second location before being taken to the hospital.
It remains unclear how the victim ended up at the second location. No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting.
Miami, FL
American Airlines Eyes April 30 Return to Venezuela With Miami–Caracas Flights
DALLAS — American Airlines (AA) announced today plans to resume daily nonstop service between Miami (MIA) and Caracas (CCS) as early as April 30. The restart depends on final government approval, security checks, and operational readiness. Envoy Air, American’s regional subsidiary, will operate the route with Embraer 175 aircraft.
The Fort Worth-based carrier continues to coordinate with authorities in both the United States and Venezuela to restore the route. In January, AA announced its intention to be the first airline to reconnect Venezuela with the United States, emphasizing that service would begin only after regulatory approval and security assessments.
American began serving Venezuela in 1987 and was the largest U.S. airline in the country before suspending operations in 2019. Chief Commercial Officer Nat Pieper described the return to Caracas as both a restoration of a long-standing market and a strategic extension of Miami’s role as AA’s primary Latin America gateway.
This announcement follows the U.S. Department of State’s March 19, 2026 update, which lowered Venezuela’s travel advisory to Level 3, “Reconsider Travel,” but continues to warn of risks such as crime, kidnapping, terrorism, and inadequate health infrastructure. Routine consular services in Venezuela remain suspended, with most services provided through the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá as the United States begins a phased resumption of embassy operations.
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